


wishful drinking

by GreenLies



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Drinking, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Party, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29326293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenLies/pseuds/GreenLies
Summary: Iwaizumi doesn’t really think daydreaming about kissing your roommate is a normal thing.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: Iwaoi Server Valentine Exchange 2021





	wishful drinking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mariadelaOMG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariadelaOMG/gifts).



> for the dearest maria!!!! college iwaoi with some obliviousness, angst, and misunderstandings thrown into the mix. thank you SO much for this prompt - i love college AUs, and hope you enjoy reading this as much as i did writing it <333

Iwaizumi’s first thought when he first meets his roommate is,  _ holy shit. _

They had talked before, of course; their University’s rooming system allowed them to text each other, and they’d even called once or twice to the point where Iwaizumi would label them, very tentatively, friends. They even began following each other’s social media a couple of weeks ago, although this doesn’t change the fact that Oikawa’s grainy pictures had done very little justice to what he actually looked like. 

This thought immediately leaves his brain when said roommate opens his mouth. 

“Iwa-chan!” And his voice is high pitched and a little breathy and Iwaizumi suddenly wants to slam his own head in a cabinet. 

“That’s not my name.” 

“Don’t be a spoilsport!” Oikawa Tooru, his roommate for the first year of university, is standing by the door. He looks like an idiot, granted: he’s carrying three giant bags and his backpack looks like something a first-year in high school would wear. However, he’s an idiot with nice hair and sparkly eyes, and Iwaizumi’s pissed at how hard his heart drops when Oikawa smiles. “We’re going to have  _ so  _ much fun.” 

“I’m sure.” He eyes Oikawa as he marches through the doorway, struggling slightly with his bags. “When did you get here?” 

“A few hours ago. I had to get some of my classes sorted out.” He seems disheveled, now that Iwaizumi’s watching closely, bags under his eyes and tension in his upper body. “Don’t worry, though! I’m not planning on leaving for the rest of the day.” 

Iwaizumi snorts. “That makes two of us. Just don’t be too loud, alright?” 

Oikawa nods fervently, and Iwaizumi has to suppress a smile as he turns his back to Oikawa, sinking into the mattress. He’s exhausted, too; a four-hour drive today, complete with a metric ton of traffic and road rage that he’s sure will take at least a week to completely leave his system. 

Oikawa, true to his word, isn’t too loud. He doesn’t do much of anything besides humming quietly as the sounds of him shuffling around, drawers opening and closing, lull Iwaizumi closer to unconsciousness. His body falls asleep first, and then his brain, and the last thing he hears is OIkawa’s soft sigh and the squeak of bedsprings across the room, indicating that he’d just lay down as well. 

  
  


A few months in, after the dust has settled, Iwaizumi has realized something horrifying about his roommate: Oikawa Tooru is the definition of a party animal. 

  
“Just once! Come on, you’ll have so much fun, I promise! We can go home whenever you want.” 

“I don’t know…” Iwaizumi is finding it more and more difficult to say no to Oikawa, especially when Oikawa is leaning into his space like this, locking his chestnut eyes on Iwaizumi’s, that stupid lavender body spray he uses spilling into the air around them, making Iwaizumi hyper-aware of their proximity. 

Oikawa also has no qualms about draping himself over Iwaizumi, chin on his head, knocking the pencil out of his hand. “Come on! I have so many friends that want to meet you.” 

“You’ve been telling your friends about me?” Iwaizumi asks grumpily, picking the pencil back up, trying to focus as much as he can with Oikawa’s scent wafting in his small space. “I’m flattered, really.” 

“Well-” The weight on his back disappears. Iwaizumi turns around and Oikawa has gone a little pink in the face. “They know I have a roommate. They want to meet you.” 

“I have a paper due in two days,” Iwaizumi replies, but he’s already putting his things away. Oikawa Tooru is a force to be reckoned with when he’s determined about something, and Iwaizumi is learning to pick his battles wisely. This event, at least, is not something he’s entirely opposed to. 

“Iwa-chan,  _ please?”  _

Iwaizumi sighs, averting his gaze, afraid that if he looks at Oikawa’s puppy eyes for too long, he’ll combust either from laughter or embarrassment. “Okay, alright. Just give me ten minutes.” 

Said ten minutes are spent aggressively brushing his teeth, spraying on cologne, and then throwing on the first pair of pants he can find just as Oikawa starts whining about how they’re going to be late. He pulls a hoodie over his head, runs a hand through his hair to flatten it (the effort is fruitless; this particular tactic has never once worked), and makes sure to have his key on him; too many times has Oikawa nearly broken the door down because he forgot his and was locked out of the room in the early hours of the morning. It is not something Iwaizumi is eager to repeat. 

The air is cool as they walk down the path - it’s late, later than Iwaizumi usually goes out. He isn’t a hermit, not by any means, but the fact that he’s double-majoring and hadn’t been much of a party person to begin with meant he prefers smaller parties; nothing like the raging Friday excursions that were often had on the other side of campus like the one Oikawa is currently dragging him to. 

He can hear the party before he sees it. Blasting music, pounding, and he knows he’ll have a migraine tomorrow. Oikawa’s face has lit up at the prospect, and Iwaizumi rolls his eyes good-naturedly. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing - he does need a break, after all, has been getting a bit overwhelmed. 

Inside is crowded. The floor is crowded, bodies pressing against one another, and he’s glad Oikawa is staying close, because he wouldn’t know what to do otherwise. There’s so much - the people dancing in the main room and the girls sitting on the kitchen counter and the footsteps he can hear upstairs, where the scent of artificial fruit is leaking down. He’s overwhelmed, briefly. 

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa is looking at him with big, glassy eyes. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m…” Iwaizumi shakes himself out of it. “I’m okay. Where do you want to go?” 

Oikawa grabs his sleeve and sets them off towards the kitchen. “We can grab some drinks? And if you aren’t having a good time, we can go.” 

Iwaizumi nods, not that it would matter, because he’s already following. Oikawa’s voice goes lower when he speaks to the girls, letting his words fall easily, and is able to talk his way past them and onto the island, where there’s a taller man protecting the drinks. 

“This is Bokuto,” Oikawa introduces. Iwaizumi waves a short hello - he does know Bokuto, is pretty sure they have Psych 101 together. In lieu of a greeting, Bokuto gives them both a nod and a cup of something red that makes Iwaizumi’s nose crinkle when he smells it. 

“Cheers?” Oikawa asks as he takes the lead, holding his cup up to Iwaizumi. 

“Cheers,” Iwaizumi replies, all thoughts of work and papers and migraines leaving his head as he tips his head back. 

Two, three, four drinks later and things have gone fuzzy. They left to dance a while ago, and Iwaizumi had lost himself briefly in the music - danced with a boy and danced with a girl, allowed the heady feeling to overtake him. He’s now out on the back deck, letting the cool wind whip across his face as he gently rocks back and forth on the porch swing. He closes his eyes, only to feel a hand touch his moments later. 

“Hey.” 

It’s Oikawa. He hadn’t even heard the door open. “Hi.” 

“What are you doing out here?” 

Iwaizumi sighs, and Oikawa takes it as an invitation to sit beside him. “Just relaxing. It was too… crowded, in there.”    
  


“I get that.” Oikawa is silent for a moment more. “So, did you have a good time?”    
  


“Yeah.” Iwaizumi lets a slow smile droop across his face, the warm heaviness of the alcohol still beating through him, and bumps his knees with Oikawa’s. “I’d never admit it, but… yeah.” 

“I’m glad,” and Oikawa’s words are so sweet, and he smells nice, peppermint and lavender, and Iwaizumi is suddenly gripped by the urge to grab his face and-

Oh.

Oh,  _ fuck.  _

His addled mind briefly goes through the five stages of grief before settling on one final defense mechanism: flight. 

“Oikawa, I think-” He gets up quickly and stumbles to the side before recovering. He has to play it cool. “I’m kind of tired, actually, so I might just leave, but you stay!” 

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa is looking at him like he’s gone completely off the rails. Iwaizumi can’t really blame him. “I can walk you back. I probably should, actually, you don’t look too hot.” 

“I’ll be fine! Stay here, please, it’s your party.” 

He’s not gonna let Iwaizumi go home by himself, and Iwaizumi isn’t about to let Oikawa follow him. Oikawa purses his lips before clapping his hands together. 

“I know! One of my friends lives here. I’ll just ask if you can take the guest bed until you sober up a little.” His eyes are wide, earnest. “I really don’t want you walking home this late.” 

_ Fuck,  _ Iwaizumi’s mind adds helpfully, and Iwaizumi nods clumsily. “If it’s no trouble…” 

His Oikawa-created crisis ends swiftly as he’s directed to the guest room. He almost trips coming up the stairs, head feeling too heavy for his body. Oikawa had disappeared somewhere after he secured permission, which was probably better, because now Iwaizumi can freak out in peace. 

His brain doesn’t seem to be working at a hundred percent, and all he can think is that this will end very, very badly. He knows Oikawa is attractive, there’s no denying it, but he doesn’t really believe daydreaming about kissing your roommate is a normal thing. 

He doesn’t have much time to dwell, however - his head is spinning, and the bed is  _ so  _ soft, and before he knows it, his eyes close of his own accord. 

His last thought before he passes out is,  _ this is not good.  _

  
  
  


He wakes up early - about eight in the morning, according to the digital clock on his bedside. He still has all his clothes on and his phone and room key are accounted for, so he considers it to be a pretty successful night. 

Then the memories come rushing back, and he drops onto the pillow with a groan. 

Shit. 

His brain is working better this morning, however, enough to come up with some semblance of a plan. The first order of business: Oikawa can  _ never  _ find out. Sure, he may have a kind personality and be way more attractive than the average human should, but Iwaizumi does not think he’ll take it well to know the man that slept in the same room as him and the man that he was constantly being a bit too touchy with and the man that he talked to for hours, was also the man who had a crush on him. 

A crush. How trivial of a word. 

The second order of business: Get the hell out of the house before Oikawa wakes up, remembers, and starts asking what happened. 

Iwaizumi’s jacket is still hanging on the coat rack in the hall, so he doesn’t have to do too much digging. Almost everyone is asleep, save for someone who currently sounds like they aren’t doing too well judging by the retching that’s coming from the bathroom. Either way, he’s out the door in five minutes. 

The walk home gives him more time to think. It’s unrealistic to avoid Oikawa forever - they are still roommates, and he won’t be allowed to transfer without a valid reason, but maybe limiting their time together could work. Perhaps if he doesn’t see Oikawa as much, his brain will stop associating him with those stupid butterflies that seem to rise in Iwaizumi’s stomach, and it’ll be like it never happened at all. 

It’s wishful thinking, but Iwaizumi doesn’t have much left to hang onto at the moment. 

As expected, their dorm is empty, so he doesn’t try to be quiet as he toes off his shoes and throws his jacket on the table. His head is pounding, prompting him to get a glass of water and lay down on the couch. It’s too early to be up, really, but he’s glad he is; he’s glad he got out of there. 

Things probably won’t be all sunshine and rainbows when Oikawa gets back, so he decides to bask in the silence while he can. He gets a good amount of sleep as well, dozing on and off for almost an hour before his phone starts vibrating. He throws an arm over his face and tries to ignore it, but he gets notification after notification and finally grabs it with a huff. 

_ From: Oikawa _

**_9:03 AM:_ ** _ Iwa-chan, where are you? _

**_9:03 AM:_ ** _ Are you okay?  _

**_9:03 AM:_ ** _ Nobody has seen you since last night _

**_9:04 AM:_ ** _ Iwa-chan, answer me _

**_9:04 AM:_ ** _ If I get back to the dorm and you’re not there, I’m kicking your ass _

**_9:05 AM:_ ** _ Please let me know you’re okay _

Well, alright. 

Iwaizumi sends an obligatory  _ i’m okay, don’t worry,  _ knowing he’ll have to give a further explanation later. He busies himself with starting their busted coffee maker. Oikawa likes it when he wakes up, and he’ll at least be grateful Iwaizumi made it before he came back. 

The sun is breaking through the clouds, painting the sky a clear, pale blue. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. After all, he’d lived with Oikawa for this long, and Oikawa never said anything before. 

The  _ click  _ of the door opening interrupts his thoughts, and he feels himself visibly freeze at the sight of Oikawa opening the door, a lazy smile plastered on his face, hair mussed up to one side and button-up shirt wrinkled. 

He stares for a moment too long and shakes himself out of it, moving towards the cabinet to pick up two mugs. “Glad to see you’re alive.” 

“Iwa-chan! You left so early. I thought you were my plus-one to this party.”

“Oh.” Iwaizumi does feel a little bad about ditching, but all in all, he had a decent reason. Oikawa was friends with half the people at that party, anyway. “I’m sorry.” 

“What happened?” He still doesn’t let himself look at Oikawa, instead noting the concern lacing his voice. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” he says. The coffee maker beeps, and he breathes a silent thank-you for the excuse, drifting over to pour some for each of them. “I woke up and felt really nauseous, so I decided to just come back here and crash.” 

“Oh, no,” Oikawa says, and the teasing lilt that usually lines his voice is gone. “I’m sorry, Iwa-chan.” 

“Sorry- huh?” Iwaizumi finally turns to him, and his brown eyes are distraught. “Why are you sorry?” 

“I dragged you there in the first place.” Oikawa’s gaze darts to the ceiling, and Iwaizumi looks away as well. “I know you didn’t want to go.” 

“Don’t start with that,” Iwaizumi says, tone a bit too warm. He mentally kicks himself. “I wouldn’t have gone if I didn’t want to. I’m glad you took me.” 

Oikawa grabs his mug and proceeds to dump a metric ton of sugar in it. “Really?” 

“Really. I promise,” Iwaizumi replies.

They stand in silence for a moment, drinking their coffee, watching a fat squirrel trying to climb one of the branches of the tree outside their window. It slips and scrambles for purchase, and Iwaizumi looks at the wall instead, biting back a laugh. 

“Do you want to study together later?” Oikawa says, the words rushing out. “I could look over your paper. Especially since you didn’t get to work on it last night.”

He still sounds a touch guilty, and Iwaizumi almost feels bad. He turns to say yes, of course, to take Oikawa up on his offer, but then sees his expression, open and vulnerable, and remembers the promise he made to himself.    
  
“I, ah. I can’t actually, I’m sorry.” He scratches the back of his neck and can feel Oikawa’s eyes follow the motion. “I promised someone in the class I’d meet up with them.” 

“Oh! Of course,” Oikawa says, and Iwaizumi doesn’t quite catch the flicker of emotions that cross his face. “Iwa-chan is so popular.” 

“Shut up,” Iwaizumi says, drains his coffee, and then starts packing his bag for some much-needed studying. 

  
  
  


And so it goes. 

He’s not…  _ mean  _ to Oikawa, not in the slightest - he keeps the friendly openness that he’s always had, but has begun to hold him at an arm’s length. They see each other less and less now, Iwaizumi finding excuses to go to the library or the gym or a friend’s dorm and Oikawa coming home late at night, being as quiet as possible as he got into bed. Sometimes, days would go by without them crossing paths at all. 

Iwaizumi tells himself it’s for the better. Maybe they both needed a little distance, some time away from each other. He’s branching out now - he’s joined a couple of clubs and he’s gotten very acquainted with the large tree on the student circle that’s perfect for studying under. 

He and Oikawa still have conversations, asking this question or helping the other out with a math problem, but the subtle connection is slowly splintering. Iwaizumi hopes Oikawa isn’t noticing it - he himself is, and it’s hurting just a little bit. He can feel their conversations dwindle, the messages on his phone becoming days old before a new one is sent, and even then it’s just logistics:  _ Are you buying food this week? Did you move my textbook? Have you seen my purple hoodie?  _

It doesn’t seem fair, especially when Iwaizumi knows he only has himself to blame. But between this and making Oikawa uncomfortable, he’ll always choose the former. 

He’s doing the right thing. He tells himself that, and he believes it, until everything comes to an end on one sunny Friday afternoon. 

He and Oikawa are having one of the rare moments where they’re both in the room, Iwaizumi lying face-up on his bed and Oikawa sitting on the opposite, thumbing through a book. The silence is almost companionable until Oikawa asks a fumbling question.    
  
“Iwaizumi, I’m going to be getting together with a couple of people tonight. If you wanted to come?” 

An excuse is already popping out of Iwaizumi’s mouth before Oikawa can even finish the sentence. “I can’t, I promised that I’d edit someone’s essay tonight. I’m sorry.” 

There’s a silence, and Iwaizumi is wondering whether Oikawa heard him when-

“What did I do?” 

Iwaizumi wouldn’t have heard it if the room hadn’t been dead silent beforehand. “Huh?” 

“I said,” Oikawa replies, and his voice is deadly calm, “What did I do? A couple of weeks ago we were fine, and now here you are, doing whatever you can to not see me.” 

Iwaizumi had been wondering if Oikawa noticed the subtle gestures, but he hadn’t expected him to take them as a problem he had created. “Oikawa, that’s not-” 

“If you want to switch roommates, you can just tell me,” Oikawa says, and gives a bitter laugh to the ceiling. “I’ll understand. I just wish you had said something, and maybe we could have figured it out.” 

“Oikawa, it wasn’t you!” Iwaizumi’s emotions betray him - he’s angry at Oikawa for not understanding, angry that he was ever dragged to that stupid party, and most of all angry at himself for having to be such a mess and go and fall for his  _ roommate.  _

“Really? Because it sure seems that way to me.” Oikawa’s voice is level, but Iwaizumi can sense something simmering behind the surface. “If you’d prefer to enlighten me, though, I’m all ears.” 

“It isn’t anything you did.” Iwaizumi takes a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm, trying to stop his heart from exploding out of his chest. “I promise it wasn’t you.” 

“You keep saying that, but you can’t seem to tell me exactly what it is,” Oikawa says. “Sorry, that I won’t just take your word for it.” 

“Seriously?” 

“Well, what do you expect, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa replies, finally showing a bit of emotion. “I’m not used to my roommate just giving me the cold shoulder!” 

“It’s because-” Iwaizumi feels his throat close up, forcing his volume to a lower level, forcing him to speak at nearly a whisper. He buries his face in his hands. “It’s because I like you, okay?” 

The room is silent. Iwaizumi isn’t sure he’s even breathing. He can’t pick up his head, not when he knows Oikawa will bear a face of disgust or disdain or- 

“That’s not funny.” 

Oikawa’s tone, chillier than Iwaizumi has ever heard it, is not what he expected. “Huh?” 

“That isn’t funny!” He glances up when he hears Oikawa grabbing his bag. “God, Iwa-chan, I didn’t think you would stoop that low.” 

“Oikawa, what?” He’s scrambling now, trying to reach the door before Oikawa, trying to figure out what exactly is going on. 

Oikawa reaches the entrance just as Iwaizumi steps in front of it. 

“Get out of the way, Iwaizumi.” Iwaizumi is nearly frightened by how utterly  _ angry  _ Oikawa looks, but he holds his ground. 

“Not until you tell me what’s happening.” 

They stare at each other for a moment, irritation palpable on Oikawa’s face and Iwaizumi trying his best to be patient. Oikawa throws his hands up and flings down his bag. 

“What do I have to explain? If you weren’t into me, you could have just told me. You didn’t have to be an asshole about it.” 

“What?” Iwaizumi is just confused, now. “I just said-”

“Who told you?” Oikawa asks. “Was it Kuroo? I knew I couldn’t trust him, that lying little-” 

“Oikawa, what are you  _ talking  _ about?” 

Oikawa sighs in defeat. “At the party,” he starts, “A few of us played truth or dare. After you fell asleep.” 

Iwaizumi isn’t quite sure where he’s going with this. “Okay?” 

“And they asked me who at the party I’d kiss, if I had the chance, and-  _ god,  _ Iwaizumi, are you going to make me spell it out?” 

Iwaizumi is still standing, a little shell-shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”    
  


“Why would I? How many guys would take it well finding out their roommate…” Oikawa takes a deep breath, closing and opening his eyes again. “Anyway! Now that we’re done with that.” 

“Oikawa.” Iwaizumi moves closer. “You know it wasn’t a joke, right? Kuroo didn’t tell me anything. No one did.” 

“Then why were you avoiding me?” Oikawa asks. “Why didn’t you want to hang out with me anymore? Or talk to me? If you  _ liked me  _ so much?” 

“Shut up, god.” Iwaizumi can’t help but break their eye contact. “I didn’t want you to think I was weird. Or something. Like you said, there was no guarantee you’d take it well.” 

The tension seems to drain from Oikawa. “So you- you meant it? When you said that… you know?” 

“Of course I did.” Iwaizumi says. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that.” 

Oikawa is blushing too, now, just a light shade of red on each cheek. “How long?” 

“I realized it at the party, I think,” Iwaizumi replies. “But it’s been here a while. How long was it for you?” 

“Since I met you,” Oikawa breathes, and he’s stepping closer, the few inches he has on Iwaizumi becoming more apparent. “Since I came in here and you said hello. You mumble in your sleep, you know that?” 

“I’m sure.” Iwaizumi doesn’t back away, keeps risking glances at Oikawa. 

“So what now?” 

“I don’t know.” Iwaizumi teases. “Do you still want to leave?” 

“Iwa-chan…” Oikawa pouts, frustratingly adorable, and Iwaizumi nearly looks away before remembering that apparently he’s allowed to watch now, allowed to see Oikawa and  _ think  _ things like that. Maybe even say them. 

And so he does,  _ you’re adorable,  _ and is rewarded with Oikawa telling him to shut up and smacking his arm and flushing a bright, blinding red. 

The sight is so brilliant that Iwaizumi can’t hold it inside him a moment more. “Can I kiss you?” 

“How about you let me do the honors?” Oikawa says. “You know, since you didn’t talk to me and all that.” 

“I didn’t-” Iwaizumi starts, but he’s cut off by a gentle hand on his cheek, lifting his head until he’s forced to stand on his tiptoes in order to match Oikawa’s height, and even then Oikawa is still smiling down at him before gently pressing their lips together. 

Iwaizumi, for all his daydreaming, actually forgets how to kiss for half a second, staying motionless as Oikawa’s lips move against his. Then his brain kicks in and he finds himself wrapping his arms around Oikawa, letting his fingertips roam the muscles of his back, letting their mouths slot together in a rhythm. 

And Oikawa is a  _ damn  _ good kisser, one hand twisting Iwaizumi’s hair, tongue soft, exploring Iwaizumi’s mouth, leaving his lips swollen red. It feels right - everything that Iwaizumi had wanted for so long, right there in his grasp. It’s overwhelming.

Oikawa backs him up until he’s pressed against the wall and breaks their kiss. Iwaizumi is sure he looks wrecked, hair even messier than usual, panting heavily. Oikawa’s eyes are like pools, and he wants to fall into them, to swim until he’s learned all the secrets of Oikawa’s brain.    
  
“So, I’ll ask one more time,” Oikawa says, mischief clear on his face. “Do you want to go out tonight?” 

Iwaizumi pushes him one, two, three steps, pushes him until his back is hitting the edge of the bed. 

“You’d better be paying.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading!


End file.
